On this week's episode, Mike Tozzi (of Tozz's Draftcast) and I break down the exhilarating 2021 NBA Draft, specifically as it pertains to the Orlando Magic. We relive the drama and excitement from the Amway Center and radio broadcast we were a part of that night. Plus, what this means for the Magic moving forward, lineup decisions, NBA Rookie of the Year predictions, and our other favorite picks inside the first round. (Podcast below)
Jalen Suggs Notes:
·Going No. 5 overall to the Orlando Magic in the NBA draft, he's just the fourth Gonzaga player in the common draft era (since 1966) to be a top-10 NBA draft selection.
·Suggs made his collegiate debut against then-sixth ranked Kansas. He finished this game with 24 points, tied for the fourth-most by any freshman to debut against an AP Top-10 team in the last 25 seasons.
·His 2nd cousin is Terrell Suggs. He’s also related to Eddie Jones formerly of the Miami Heat.
·Suggs grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota.
·Suggs was a 5-star recruit and considered to be the 5th best player in the nation heading into college last season. (Cade, Jalen Green, Kuminga, and Evan Mobley)
Also, now that the draft has come and gone, check out some of the draft notes I used in lead up to the draft itself!
Evan Mobley.
I think NBA GM’s will be a little wary of drafting a guy who plays the 5, isn’t someone who glistens as a perimeter prospect like some of the other guys around him…and we see the way the league is moving. If he’s not Giannis or Embiid, he could have trouble making a real superstar level impact.
The other side of that…
One scout said:
"He's a 7-foot wing. That's how I talk about him," one draft scout told CBS Sports. "Evan Mobley's thing is that he's a player who was raised to be a point guard, and he's 7-feet tall. ... You can use him in a lot of ways that the centers of the past five or seven years are pretty rarely put in."
Defense translates right away: He averaged nearly three blocks per game at USC (7’4 wingspan- longer than Isaac 7’1)
NBATankathon.com has him going 3rd to the Cavs…as does SI.com…as does Bleacher Report…as does NBADraft.net.
Tale of the tape:
7’0 – 215 – PF/C USC – Averaged 16ppg, 8 boards, 2 assists, and nearly 3 blocks per game.
Strengths:
Mobility, coordinated for a 7-footer, more than capable of switching on pick and rolls. Decent jump shot.
Weakness:
Poor 3-point shooter (1 for 7 on catch and shoot situations beyond the arc), less than ideal ball handling skills, decision making as a passer needs improvement
Think shades of Chris Bosh if he develops a more consistent outside shot.
James Bouknight
SG out of UCONN. Because I have seen this guy ranked everywhere from 5 to 15…there doesn’t seem to be a consensus.
Tankathon.com has him ranked as the 16th best player.
An article on SI.com has him mocked to the Thunder @ 6.
He’s also worked out with the Warriors, who pick @ 7.
I read another article today from HoopsHabit.com, where this particular writer is encouraging the Magic to reach on Bouknight @ either 5 or 8 – making the argument that he’s the elite/explosive scorer that this team desperately needs.
Thoughts?
…
Tale of the tape:
Bouknight’s 6’5 190 – 18ppg in his sophomore season – 29% from 3pt range – his best game came in an OT loss to Creighton in December. 40 points in 40 min played on 13/24 shooting.
Strengths:
3-level scoring, athleticism, finishing at the rim, defensive potential, shooting potential
Weakness:
Ball security, tunnel vision, playmaking, defensive consistency
*Think shades of Chris Bosh if he develops a more consistent outside shot.
*6 games last year with 5 or more blocks
Jalen Suggs and Jalen Green.
Let’s look first at Suggs.
He’s definitely the player we know the most heading into this draft process…he was electric in the NCAA Tournament and was one of the reasons that Gonzaga was as dominant as they were.
Tale of the tape:
Suggs measures @ 6’4 in shoes, 194 lbs, with a 6’5 wingspan, and a 8’3 standing reach… Was named both Mr Football and Mr. Basketball in the State of Minnesota as a Senior … Turned down scholarship offers to play QB at both Ohio State and Notre Dame
Strengths:
Leader, playmaker, elite scoring potential. Fearless in driving to the rim. Handles off the charts. Really not a lot to not like about this guy.
Weakness:
Committs too many fouls, assist to turnover ratio isn’t where you want it to be, shot just 33% from behind the arc.
Jalen Green
Green is so confident that he’s going 1st or 2nd overall that reports say he’s ONLY working out with the Pistons and Rockets.
Green was a consensus 5-star recruit out of Napa, California…could’ve went wherever he wanted to go in college but opted to spend a year in the G-League. Really a historical type of decision. Green’s already won 3-gold medals at the youth level.
Strengths:
Green is a high upside prospect with elite athleticism and intriguing shooting and scoring ability … he is a fluid and natural scorer, with a wide arrange of ways to score … Can confidently knock down shots from all three levels of the court … One of his best assets is his incredible athleticism and leaping ability. And apparently he loves to pass, which you don’t always get from elite scorers.
Weakness:
You guessed it. Needs to work on his 3-point shot. Sub-par rebounder. Relies on athleticism to get to the basket.
Scottie Barnes:
NBA comps- Draymond Green/Jabari Parker (there’s a chasm)
Barnes averaged 10.3 points, 4.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as a freshman last season.
He’s a modern point forward, fits perfectly with today’s NBA as long as he can develop and his skills transfer over.
Strengths:
Versatility, power, ball-handling, high motor, great physique. Shot 56% from the field. (6’8 225 with a 7’2 wingspan).
Weakness:
Like most FSU players, he played limited minutes because of the system Leonard Hamilton deploys. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Shot less than 30% from 3.
To me he sounds like a really high-end 6th man.
Jonathan Kuminga:
Another 6’7 220 guy with ridiculous athleticism and the physique you want in an NBA player. Neither of these guys look like players that need to “grow into their bodies”
15.8 ppg 7.2 rebounds per game in the G-League. He’s a great transition player, he can score from anywhere, and it looks like he’s oozing with upside.
Strengths:
Handles, passing, good enough defender right now (1 steal per game), skilled enough to create is own shot.
Weakness:
24% from 3! Poor foul shooter 62%. Lacks diversity in his post moves.
NBA Comp: Jaylen Brown
Photo: Getty Images